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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102145">Sauna Test: Take Two</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowObsessor01/pseuds/ShadowObsessor01'>ShadowObsessor01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>LTIA: Original Story Concept [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Religious Content, Temporary Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:00:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,750</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowObsessor01/pseuds/ShadowObsessor01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Billy?” Rebekah begins to struggle, trying to sit up, but her limbs are shaky and coltish in a way they haven’t been since she came out of puberty. “Billy?! Wake up. Wake up please!”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Billy Hargrove/Rebekah Shore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>LTIA: Original Story Concept [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738561</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sauna Test: Take Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I think this will be the last Original Concept I post. I've got a couple other pieces but they work well enough with only minor tweaking that I can still use them in the new story. Obviously this is a massive jump from the last post but I've got a new idea for how things go down so yep. But this is honestly my favorite scene (for the moment LOL) and I couldn't wait to share with you all!</p><p>Please enjoy and leave a comment!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Billy tapped the Camaro's wheel to the beat pounding from the stereo. Becky wasn't going to be happy he was getting home late but the chocolate cheesecake and copy of <em>Footloose </em>in his passenger seat would more than sweeten her mood again. It also wasn't his fault the pool manager had to leave early (really can't time babies deciding to enter the world) and left him to lock everything up.</p><p>Adjusting the rear-view mirror, Billy smiled and appreciated the bruise free look of his face, knowing today marked almost a month since Neil had a chance to teach him “respect and responsibility”. He didn't fully believe in Becky's One True God, but he figured someone Up There must be looking out for him. There was just no other possible explanation for the perfect imperfection he got to go home to every night now. Becky was perfect and beautiful in all the right ways. Even more astounding, Billy didn't <em>care</em> they hadn't fallen into bed together yet. Slept wrapped around each other like a pair of koalas, sure, but down and dirty? Nope. Hell, he hadn't had any sex in seventh months and that was a record. Billy didn't care because he had something <em>better</em>: happiness.</p><p>He'd go celibate so long as he got to keep going home to Becky, Billy was that content with his life.</p><p>A wild care-free whoop burst from him as Billy sped along the road.</p><p>“Hey, Becks, I know I'm late but Clint got a call from the hospital. Apparently Natasha went into labor so he asked me to close up.” Rebekah preferred honesty and this all was the honest truth, just sometimes Billy got nervous and tongue-tied around his girl especially when she'd scrunch up her nose in irritation because that expression was too cute in his opinion so a little bit of practice over what he was going to say never hurt. He glanced in the mirror, eyes widening into what would hopefully be an effective puppy pout. “He's my boss and it's his kid, I couldn't just say no, right? C'mon Seashell, don't pout, look I've got your favorite: choc–”</p><p>Something smashed into the windshield. Billy yelped as the Camaro fishtailed in his surprise. Jerking the wheel one way, then the other, foot locked on the brake pedal, he managed to keep from flipping the car or running headfirst into a tree or pole, if only barely. The Camaro still ended up broadsiding into a steel girder, Billy flying face first into the steering wheel from the sudden stop. He didn't pass out which, yay, great, but his head was pounding apart at the seams and he couldn't tell if the ringing was from him or his car.</p><p>Touching his temple sent waves of crystal sharp fire lancing through his brain and he couldn't keep the quiet “Shit” from escaping when his fingers came away bloody. All of his surroundings vacillated between a swirling whirlpool of dark colors or blurred after-images like a Chiaroscuro painting. Neil had given him enough concussions that Billy could pinpoint when he had one, which he didn't this time but it was a close call. Only after a few minutes to clear his vision did he take in the damage to his car.</p><p>Whatever had hit him had created a shatter pattern in the windshield which blew massively since he did not make enough at his lifeguard job to even begin to cover this. Billy could maybe fix the engine himself though, if he dared drive it with all the steam coming from the engine block. Some wires or something had come loose in the radio because instead of the clear music it had been playing, the tape was skipping and everything in between was nothing but static. Easy enough fix.</p><p>“Shit!” Billy made to smack the steering wheel but the harsh movement jolted his neck which caused his head injury to flare. Instead, he jerked himself out of the car, nearly face-planting when the vertigo became too much.</p><p>When his feet finally decided that the world wasn't rocking like a ship in a storm, Billy stumbled to assess the damage of the passenger door. Dented inward like a crumbled Coke can, there was no budging it until he straightened the metal out, even if he did try a few times ineffectually. Billy cursed again as the damages and price tag kept jacking up. Then he made his way back to the front of the car. Whatever had hit him was big and solid enough to crack the windshield, who knows what other kind of damage could have been done. Thankfully, the hood and front fender where fine which was weird, but not as weird as the goop clinging to the crash site.</p><p>“What the hell?” Billy wrinkled his nose in confusion and disgust as the viscous material clung to the finger he had dipped in. Before he could think of what could have possibly made such an impression besides a <em>frog</em>, something swift moved through his periphery at the edge of the pool of streetlight. Turning his head so quickly to make out what had moved was a bad idea for his raging headache, but Billy was not about to be caught with his proverbial pants down. He'd seen enough horror films to know that he was not in a good position right now. He was not the star that survived to the end. Billy felt very much like the guy who bit the dust in the first five minutes.</p><p>“Who's there?!” Humanity though, is also known for its stupidity. Instead of getting into his car and hightailing away from the creepy abandoned warehouse in the middle of Nowhere, Indiana, Billy asked the question that always got people killed.</p><p>“I said, who's there?!” Panic was starting to set in. It was too quiet. There should have been critters and nocturnal noises by now. Billy couldn't hear crickets. When even the wind seems to be afraid to move, it is beyond time to leave.</p><p>Billy didn't make it two steps.</p><p>Something sinuous and below freezing wrapped around his ankle and <b>pulled.</b> Billy screamed as he was dragged through the dirt towards the factory, terror competing with the ice clamped like a vice around his leg. Fingernails tore as he scrambled for anything to hold, to stop his progression to imminent death. His cries paused when whatever it was dragging him, rammed his head into the door of the factory, resuming quickly as dirt transformed into debris strewn concrete. Billy managed to grasp a door frame, terror ramping into an unprecedented level when he felt stairs digging into his belly and thighs. A basement. He was being dragged to a <b>basement</b>.</p><p>Billy threw all of his not-inconsiderable strength into holding on to the door frame. There was no way in hell he would survive if he lost his grip.</p><p>
  <em>Please! God, Becky, anyone, <b>HELP ME!</b></em>
</p><p>The door frame bought thirty seconds, tops. A vicious tug that practically dislocated his leg from his hip, sealed his fate.</p><p>Billy's screams echoed through the ground floor of the factory until even they fell silent.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“It's not my fault! I tried to stop him. It's not my fault. Please believe me, Max.”</p><p>Rebekah races. That amount of pleading, of undisguised anguish in Billy's tone...she had never heard him sound like that before and it terrified her. Had almost caused her to crash her car when the vision hit her. Rebekah has never had visions before but her soul knows that this is happening right now, not far from her location. The pool because Billy was curled in the Sauna room he had shown her one of the few times she visited him at work, sky eyes terrified and begging as he looked up through soaked curls. Rebekah presses harder on the gas, pushing her anxiety and fear into her car hoping somehow to edge out a bit more speed.</p><p>Billy was crying and in pain, begging for salvation and forgiveness from his little sister. Rebekah didn’t know what was going on but she knew she wouldn’t let anything take Billy from her. Too much had been taken from her already. Never again.</p><p>The Impala fishtails into the public pool parking lot, barely parked before its driver is flinging herself out. Rebekah runs. The quiet voice in her heart whispering <em>hurryrescuesavenotmuchtime</em>. Scales the fence like it’s nothing because it is nothing in the grand scheme. Hits the door of the men’s locker room at a dead sprint, yanks it open and ignores the splintering fire of pieces of padlock digging into her arm. Dashes through the locker aisles, sees the lone open one with a familiar red shirt hanging from it and continues forward. There are voices ahead, calm then screaming in fear. Glass breaking and Billy roaring with a black rage Rebekah has never heard his vocal chords make. Her legs pump faster, skidding into the brick of the walls and bouncing off. Pounding and then the ear grating shriek of metal bending and warping under tremendous pressure before a thunderous boom as the sauna door falls to the floor.</p><p>Rebekah runs on. There’s a girl screaming and so is Billy and Rebekah’s heart is crying in agony over what she’ll find. Rebekah crashes into the last wall and stares.</p><p>A young girl has Billy trapped against the wall with one of the weights, but she's not touching it, is no where near Billy. <em>SisterSameUs </em>rings like a bell in Rebekah's head but she can't focus on it because all she sees is Billy with black veins covering his body, sweat pouring off his skin, his hands fruitlessly trying to pry the weight bar from its position crushing his neck into the wall like the girl is giving her all into decapitating him. Nausea curdles in her gut. Not him, please, not him. There's screaming from Billy, from the girl, maybe from Rebekah herself. She has to save him; there must be some way. A flash of orange and Rebekah narrows in on Max, Billy's Maxie.</p><p>Max yelps as she's suddenly spun around from the horror show in front of her. There's a woman around Billy's age looking frazzled and as terrified as everyone else gripping Max's shoulders. Her blue-green eyes keep jerking to Billy and Max stares in wonder at the emotions carried inside the look: fear, desperation, anguish.</p><p>“How do we save him?!” Him, meaning Billy, this strange lady wants to save Billy; not El or the kids though she looks like someone who would care about the teenagers as well. Max flops a little as the woman shakes her urgently. “Max! How do we save Billy?!” Hope flares in Max and she's not sure why she answers (maybe because she knows Max’s name though they’ve never met) only that despite everything, Billy has been better and he is still Max's brother.</p><p>“Heat. We need to burn it out of him.”</p><p>There's a blistering range of emotion flashing across the woman's face: confusion, understanding, resignation, then burning determination. How a woman as expressive as this knows Max's emotionally stunted brother, she has no clue. In spite of her confusion, Max is kind of glad Billy has someone.</p><p>Max doesn't think she is supposed to hear the next words but she does.</p><p>“Right, heat, okay.” She straightens, eyes locked now on Billy and if Max had been watching the scene behind her, she would have seen Billy lock eyes with the woman and freeze, a begging panicked look in his own gaze.</p><p>“Don't hate me for this, William. Please, please, don't hate me.”</p><p>Max has never heard anyone but Neil call Billy by his full name, Billy himself prefers his nickname. But coming from this woman the name feels right, like she alone is allowed to roll those syllables off her tongue.</p><p>The woman stands tall and strong with a weight to her presence Max can only associate as Wonder Woman.</p><p>Then the group is crying out and El is choking. Max spins and sees the creature using her brother's body to strangle her best female friend, lifting her struggling body off the ground effortlessly. She cries out as well, knowing its futile but praying all the same.</p><p>There's a blur of motion and Billy is on the ground being straddled by the woman and he's screaming with steam coming off his body, the woman screaming too but in defiance and denial. Billy's body bucks, tries to force her off him to no avail. She's stuck to him, the flooring around melting and warping due to the sudden heat rising from the pair.</p><p>It takes the Party a moment to figure out that the heat is coming from the woman, that she is burning the Mind Flayer from Billy in a feat of supernatural prowess they've only ever witnessed from El. Mike cradles El and they watch as literal sparks begin to ignite off the woman's hair, Billy screaming louder with each uptick in heat. Like a heartbeat, the temperature goes higher until even the kids are backing away, seeking cooler air. Billy's skin is crisping, the black veins surging forward like a shield.</p><p>“<b>LET. HIM. GO.</b>” She speaks with authority and wrath, tongues of flame flickering over her body and burning the black darkness away. The monster inside roars and lashes out, Billy's hands clamping like vices around her neck. She doesn't flinch. “<b>BY THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF CHRIST JESUS, LORD AND SAVIOUR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, RELEASE WILLIAM HARGROVE THIS INSTANT, FOUL DEMON OF HATRED AND SHADOW. RELEASE, RELINQUISH OR FACE THE WRATH OF GOD WHO IS CREATOR OF ALL CREATION. BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST, </b><em><b>RELEASE HIM NOW!</b></em>”</p><p>This situation is nothing like how Will remembers his salvation from the Mind Flayer. There's a power in the room, heavier than anything he's ever felt, and hotter than the fire coming from the woman. Something else otherworldly has descended in the room and Will feels absolutely tiny in comparison.</p><p>The Party drops as one to the floor, those still standing, as the ceiling cracks and splinters, the floor heaving from the epicenter that is the woman and the Mind Flayer. A high pitched ringing begins to build until no one can hear the words the woman is screaming, can no longer hear Billy's own monstrous rage.</p><p>It starts as a pinprick of light that grows as the Mind Flayer finally gives up, pouring like a smokey cloud from Billy’s lips. El barely has time to warn everyone before the light goes supernova.</p><p>Silence.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Rapidly cooling metal ticks.</p><p>Harsh panting breaths from multiple mouths.</p><p>“Bil-Billy?” A voice croaks, vocal chords damaged and sore. The Party slowly uncurls, eyes seeking out the pair of only adults in the room. She’s laid flat out on top of Billy’s chest, this woman like El, her neck craning up to look at his face. Even from where they are, the teens can tell she’s spent and anyone else in her position would be unconscious. But somehow she’s still awake, moving one hand sluggishly up to tap weakly at Billy’s cheek.</p><p>“Bi-hilly?” She calls again, a whispering croak that dissolves into a fit of harsh coughs.</p><p>“Billy?” Now Max calls out, panic begging to gnaw at her belly when her brother doesn’t respond. Lucas’ arms keep her from crawling forward like she wishes but he’s also providing her with strength which she needs desperately.</p><p>“Billy?” Rebekah begins to struggle, trying to sit up, but her limbs are shaky and coltish in a way they haven’t been since she came out of puberty. “Billy?! Wake up. Wake up please!”</p><p>El cries quietly because this woman feels like Kali to her sense making her a Sister, an older sister like Nancy to Mike, and she sounds like El did back when Papa was taking her away from Mike. Her sister is scared because her Heart isn’t responding, isn’t waking up to her cries, isn’t coming to hold her close and tell her everything will be okay because friends don’t lie. Eleven cries and clutches at her Heart, her Mike. Her powers can’t work here in this situation. There’s no monster to be flung at walls or ripped apart. There’s nothing but two different sisters crying over the man most of the Party wouldn’t care if he lived or died. El doesn’t know religion, can’t understand something that has never been explained to her, but she knows what she felt in the moment before and during the Mind Flayer’s defeat. Eyesight blurry and nose clogged by blood and snot, El begs that force to not take away her newest Sister’s Heart.</p><p>The boys of the Party exchange worried glances, unsure how to proceed in this moment. Mike and Lucas did not like Billy Hargrove whatsoever while Will took a more neutral stance having never really interacted with the older teen. Honestly, Mike and Lucas both thought being the Host of the Mind Flayer served Hargrove right after what he did to Steve and Max. They would never voice this but they couldn’t help the thought from forming. However, seeing this strange woman who obviously cared about Hargrove and hearing Max voice her own worry out loud planted a seed of doubt. Maybe they shouldn’t be so swift to judge.</p><p>“Please Billy, don’t leave me.” Rebekah pleaded, voice cracking every other word. He couldn’t leave her here in this world alone, not after everything they’ve shared, not after she’s given him her heart and he in return his trust. This was her last secret, her abilities, that she had planned to tell him about over dinner earlier in the week but he never came home. He knew of Mother and Father and their lab, knew the reason she hid and worked two jobs on top of school to pay for tuition and rent. Under the California sky he had whispered of his father’s abuse, how when they got back not to expect to see him for a few days. Oh how they had argued, her to get him to file a police report while he vehemently denied the effectiveness of the plan. In the end, they had curled together under the blanket and listened to the ocean, content in knowing no matter what happened they would have a safe place in each other.</p><p>Salty tears stung her burned skin. Billy remained deathly still beneath her.</p><p>No, it couldn't end like this. He wouldn't end like this. Rebekah dragged herself tortuously to her knees; some well spring of strength trickling into her limbs. She could hear the girls crying behind her, the boys attempting to comfort them. Planting herself, Rebekah began chest compressions.</p><p>“You listen to me, William Hargrove.” Tilt the head, open the airway. Pinch the nose. Breath into the mouth. Repeat once. Nothing. Resume compressions. “You are NOT leaving me. You do not get to break our promise like this!” Tilt, open, pinch, breath, repeat. Nothing. Compress. “You promised you'd take us back to our beach. Promised we would go surfing again.” Tilt, open, pinch, breath, repeat. Still. Compress. “You owe me dinner, Jerk. You own me dinner and cuddles and damn<em>Footloose</em>!” Rebekah falters, her strength beginning to fail. “And I don't care about any of that,” its taking everything to breathe around the sobs “just please, Billy, Baby, <em><b>BREATHE</b></em>!”</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>Rebekah wails, high-pitched and thready, slowly sinking into a trembling mess beside the too still form of her boyfriend. Max fully collapses in Lucas' arms, her own sobs joining to echo in the weight room. El buries her head in Mike's chest and cries with her sister and best friend. Will drops his head, tears streaming down his face in the commiseration with the sorrow around him. Mike and Lucas hold their respective girlfriends and wish they could do something, anything to help. Even if its helping an asshole like Billy Hargrove.</p><p>Fingers carding through sweat soaked curls, Rebekah drapes herself as much as possible over Billy's body and cries.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Minutes, hours, no one in the Hawkins Community Pool Weight Room knew how long time passed in the wake of a person they knew dying in front of them. Only that by the time anyone moved, the room had once more fallen silent as sobs tapered off and heavy breathing remained. All the younger teens had become equally soaked in snot and tears as they were in sweat. Under the circumstances, however, the boys couldn't drum up the usual feeling of disgust as a rare bolt of maturity allowed them to understand the girls needs in releasing their emotions. Six pairs of eyes trained on the moving figure in the center of the room, wondering what would happen next.</p><p>Rebekah pushed herself into a sitting position, muscles screaming in protest that she easily ignored. Brushing back Billy's curls, she trailed a hand gently down his face, thumb stroking over his cheekbone like she always did when comforting him. With her free hand she brought one of his own hands up to her lips, a quiet whimper escaping at the cool clamminess of his skin instead of the sun-warm heat he always seemed to contain. Rebekah hated how still he was; Billy was never simply still. A bundle of energetic movement, like Billy had too much energy all the time. Always moving whether it was fiddling with a pencil or tonguing his teeth, the only time Billy stopped was in the moments he attempted to control his anger. Rebekah could sit for hours with minimal movement, reading or simply listening to music. It drove Billy spare until he couldn't take it any longer and dragged her up into an impromptu dance around the house or chased her out into the back garden where they would run from each other until caught.</p><p>“Tell me the story,” she didn't recognize her voice as her own, deep and fractured and drowning in pain “Of how the Sun loved the Moon so much, he died every day so she could breathe.” It was a quote he had found that quickly became their code to tell the other they were feeling down and needed sanctuary from life.</p><p>By this point the hand cradling Billy's face laid on his chest, covering his mother's Saint Christopher necklace. The cold of the metal acted as a nice counterpoint to ground her. Even as its temperature also made her want to hurl at the wrongness because it should be body warm, just a shade cooler than Billy's skin. Like it always has been since she worked up the courage to finger it the first time to Billy's immense amusement.</p><p>A tear splashed against his cheek and Rebekah wanted to scream because how could she have any tears left?! She doesn't, bites back the animal rising in her chest, and rests her forehead against Billy's like he's only sleeping on her couch or her bed (not dead, never that) so she can wake him in the way he loves. With the song he couldn't stop humming for months after the movie, always gazing out the window when he did, until she memorized the words (tweaking a little here and there for a gentler sound) and learned to play the chords on her beat up guitar. It was the second time Rebekah had seen him cry when she played it for him on his birthday. It was also the first time he hugged her willingly. She can't let him go without this, his goals and dreams.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Where have all the good men gone</em></p><p>
  <em>And where are all the gods?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Rebekah knows how weird it is, how awkward the song sounds without the accompaniment of her guitar, but she won't stop over some bit of embarrassment. Her voice is shot to Hell and is more croak than tune, but Billy deserved his song one last time and she could hear the guitar in her head anyway so what did it matter? He would hear the guitar too because she can't imagine God keeping this moment from Billy. This moment that shows Billy just how much he really was loved despite all his belief to the contrary.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I need a hero</em></p><p>
  <em>I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be strong</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be fast</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And he's gotta be fresh from the fight</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I need a hero</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be sure</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be soon</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And he's gotta be larger than life</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Larger than life</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Max stares unabashedly dumbfounded as the woman who had burned out the Mind Flayer, <em>crooned </em>over Billy's corpse. And it's not that she's a bad singer either causing Max to have a hard time processing the scene. Under different circumstances, Max things the woman would have an incredible voice. The reason the Party's resident Zoomer is struggling to comprehend what she's seeing is the song <em>i</em><em>tself</em>. Max recognizes the song because <em>Billy </em>would hum the tune or sing the words; never loudly, never within Neil's hearing, but sometimes Billy would be driving Max with the radio off and the windows rolled down and she would catch him out of the corner of her eye, his volume just shy of the edge of her hearing. Always this soft tune so at odds with his normal musical tastes that Max had to sit up and pay attention. However, it wasn't until this moment she placed where else she had heard the song because she hadn't watched the <em>movie </em>it was from until her sleepover with El. <em>Footloose </em>with Kevin Bacon was the absolute last movie she'd expect her brother to watch willingly.</p><p>Seeing this woman perform what was obviously a ritual occurrence between her and Billy? Max can picture it: a softer Billy holding this tiny young woman in his arms as they cuddled on a sofa watching a romantic teen rebellion film. Maybe there's popcorn, maybe they kiss or more; in either case, Billy must have truly cared for her to watch a chick flick and now he was dead in her arms.</p><p>Max bit her lip bloody to keep from breaking the spell by sobbing again.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Somewhere after midnight</em></p><p>
  <em>In my wildest fantasy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Somewhere just beyond my reach</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There's someone reaching back for me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Racing on the thunder </em>
  <em>and </em>
  <em>rising with the heat</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Isn't there a superman to sweep me off my feet</em>
</p><p> </p><p>El didn't know Billy (didn't know the woman either save for what she felt which was <em>sisterconnectionus </em>like when she met Kali), wasn't there when Billy beat Steve into a concussion and left Lucas with a bad flinch for months every time someone moved towards him suddenly. El wasn't there for <em>then </em>but she's here to witness <em>now </em>and it makes her wish she had the words to properly describe what she saw. What she felt in the Void when she looked for Billy the first time. What she gleans and understands when listening to Max or the others speak of their limited interactions with Billy after <b>t</b><b>hat </b>night.</p><p>Billy is a mouth-breather, but he's terrified looming over Heather under the blank coldness.</p><p>Billy is smirks and asshole comments, but he cries and begs Max for forgiveness in the Sauna.</p><p>Billy is anger and crazed strength, but El's Sister is cradling him like Hopper holds Jane sometimes, delicate and gentle.</p><p>Billy is Max's step-brother, but he hardly lives there anymore and there are comments Max states that make El think of Papa.</p><p>Billy doesn't make <b>sense </b>until El places herself next to him. Then she sees Billy and sees herself as a future Might-Have-Been without Mike and Will and Hop and The Party. Without Eggos and board-games and Rules.</p><p>Hearing Sister sing and hearing the <em>feelings </em>behind the sound, Jane thinks her friends are mouth-breathers towards Billy.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I need a hero</em></p><p>
  <em>I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be strong</em>
</p><p>
  <em>he's gotta be fast</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And he's gotta be fresh from the fight</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I need a hero</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be sure</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be soon</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And he's gotta be larger than life</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Mike really has no idea what to think at the moment, or what to feel. He's mad because they should have been done with the Upside-Down shit last year when El closed the gate, yet whoop-dee-do here they are again months later. Glad because this time the backwards Spooksville monster movie reject isn't using one of Mike's friends as a spy slash attack dog. Upset because El is crying and he hates that she has to go through everything <b>again</b>, especially since she's crying over Billy 'the Asshole' Hargrove. Everyone had warned El about the jerkwad, had told her – had shown her! – what he did to Steve and Lucas so she shouldn't be grieving over Billy. Yet here they are, her pretty brown eyes red and puffy while his shirt crusted with salt and mucus.</p><p>Mike likes Max a lot more than her older step-brother but its taken a long time to get to this point of toleration and even that bit of feeling on his part is on shaky ground thanks to her bad influence on El. He's not paranoid if its true! El would have never “dumped his ass” if she hadn't been spending so much time with Max. It's proven fact now (he is so going to confront the red head on misusing El's powers to spy on them, just see if he doesn't!) but Mike alone can't kick Max out of the Party. Learning the girls spied on them might get Lucas on his side, Dustin would definitely side with Mike (the guy is loyal to a fault and Mike was his friend before El and Max), and Will was a toss-up. But that's an issue for later when they aren't running for their lives or fighting off inter-dimensional demons.</p><p>Mike is also feels massively confused over who the woman with El type abilities is, where she came from, and why in hell she's mourning the most over Hargrove. He supposes it could be possible she's the guy's current lover, which would make sense but its also a kind of sickening theory because that would make the guy good at something Mike doesn't want to be thinking in regards to him. Maybe she's pregnant? Mike contemplates her form before shaking his head. Nah. Hargrove is probably sterile from all the cigarettes.</p><p>And if Mike is perfectly honest, he does feel a little bad for Max. Billy was an asshole but he was also her brother. Nothing like Nancy or Jonathan but a sibling none the less.</p><p>Watching a woman sing over his body is still weird on a massive scale.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Up where the mountains meet the heavens above</em></p><p>
  <em>Out where the lightening splits the sea</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I could swear there is someone, somewhere</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Watching me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Through the wind, and the chill, and the rain</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And the storm, and the raging flood</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh his approach like a fire in my blood</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Lucas rocked Max, quietly offering whatever comfort he could, knowing it would never be enough. Sure, Billy scared the crap out of him for months after that night, but Lucas had also watched the older teen change. Max no longer complained quite as often and for the most part Billy left the group alone. Lucas knew the rest of the Party still hated Billy and he would be right there with them, if it weren't for Erica.</p><p>His baby sister drove him up the wall with her bratty attitude and annoying self-importance, but when his mom said she would be taking swim lessons from Billy Hargrove over the summer, Lucas understandably panicked. Erica is opinionated and sheltered, just like her family strove to provide for her as an environment. Being ten years old was too young to have bigotry slammed into her face. Lucas himself sometimes felt too young at thirteen, but he could take care of himself. Erica was young and Lucas loved her despite the attitude problem.</p><p>Blowing off a couple of campaigns seemed like a fair trade-off to ensure Erica was safe. For days Lucas scoped out Billy at his lifeguard job, watching how the guy swiftly rose to be the most feared whenever on duty. What Lucas also noticed was that whenever Billy was on duty, injuries and incidents dropped dramatically. Yeah, the dude was a hard-ass and narcissistic, but he took his job seriously which was a reluctant point in Billy's favor. Then Erica had her first swim lesson. Lucas would never admit this to the other guys, however, he had to lower the binoculars a few times to rub his eyes just to make sure he was actually seeing what he was seeing.</p><p>Billy smiled at Erica, praised her when she got a stroke right, concentrated on her throughout the lesson, never rolled his eyes unless it was in response to a sarcastic quip from Erica first (and Lucas is very familiar with the expression so he knows exactly what it means even if he doesn't know what was said), never yelled at her unless she broke the no-running rule. Lucas couldn't comprehend how the racist jerk that pushed him against a cabinet and threatened him could possibly be the same guy who treated Erica to a hot dog when she was able to swim the width of the pool completely under the water the first time. Like the crazed psychopath from last November hadn't been Billy. And he couldn't claim Billy discriminated between gender either because Lucas hadn't just watched Erica's lessons but Billy's swim lessons with multiple kids from different classes, genders, and skin colors. Mr. Clark always went on about gathering data from multiple tests before coming to a conclusion. Billy treated all the kids the same: you follow his instructions, he treats you to food and prizes for accomplishments; you broke the rules, he cussed you out during the first warning and revoked privileges with language fit to peel paint on the second warning.</p><p>Billy Hargrove was an enigma. He was also Max's brother and therefore her responsibility. If she said Billy was up to his old ways, Lucas was yanking Erica out of the pool faster than the guy could blow his whistle. However, Lucas couldn't in good conscious hate the guy when said guy in question acted so far from the reason Lucas hated him in the first place. Be wary of him, of course, Lucas wasn't stupid. But his mom was always saying not to judge a book by its cover. Based on the shifty eyed look Max would get when Lucas would ask her about the bruises poking from around Billy's clothes before summer started, there was a lot more going on in the background of Billy Hargrove's life.</p><p>Lucas had adopted the wait and see policy after the third time Erica came home gushing about her lessons with Billy. Now watching this woman Lucas had seen once or twice during his stake out grieving and singing Billy into the afterlife, holding Max as she crumbled in on herself, he kind of wished he had gotten to know Billy a little better.</p><p>Maybe then he'd have some way to help his girlfriend.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I need a hero</em></p><p>
  <em>And then we'll dance till the morning light</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dreaming he'll lead me, held tight, tonight's the night</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I need a hero</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be strong,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be fast</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And he's gotta be fresh from the fight</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Will had only heard stories and had seen the damage caused to his home by Billy Hargrove's rampage. Had only watched as Steve's bruises slowly healed and his shot equilibrium righted itself once the concussion faded. Jonathan would pull him closer if they passed Billy in public, like he was trying to shield Will from the California transfer student. The guys were vehement in their hatred (though Lucas gradually became less verbal and more contemplative) and Max would only say that Billy was leaving her alone for the most part, keeping to himself or out of the house. Nancy would glare and Steve would flinch. All had really good reasons to be wary and afraid of Billy.</p><p>For a few months Will even agreed with them.</p><p>Now, Will just couldn't see what they saw. Maybe because the things that happened with his dad were still fresh in his memory, but Will could see how some days Billy walked a little more slowly, moved much more cautiously, wore more clothing, didn't draw as much attention to himself as normal. It all painted a familiar and heartbreaking story in Will's head which he is honestly surprised Jonathan hadn't picked up on. Then again, Jonathan was completely wrapped up in Nancy and couldn't see two inches in front of his nose when she was around so Will really isn't all that surprised. He also thinks Jane (which is a much prettier name than El) has maybe subconsciously picked up on the same vibe as Will because sometimes he'll catch her watching Billy or Max with confusion. Like she's trying to piece together a puzzle and is missing pieces. Will understood the confusion.</p><p>Will had also seen Billy and Rebekah walking around town a few times. The first time he did, Will had actually frozen in place, startling his mom which he felt kind of bad about but couldn't care less at the moment because Billy was across the street with an arm wrapped around a pretty woman and they were both smiling and laughing. It wouldn't have been so surprising if Dustin hadn't reenacted Steve's and Billy's fight for the tenth time that morning complete with facial expressions. Steve and the others all agreed Dustin's impersonation of Billy that night was pretty spot on. So to go with an image of a crazed maniac willing to murder a person to a guy who honestly looked like the girl who was cuddled to his chest hung the galaxy based on the sunny grin alone, was pretty jarring.</p><p>Yeah, Will just couldn't picture Billy Hargrove as the villain. More like a guy who had a shit hand dealt to him without the support group he needed to come out a better person than his tormentor. Will couldn't come out and say his opinion on the matter though; no one would believe him anyway. But...if Will had a couple of sketches of Billy and Rebekah smiling at each other with the kind of love Will wants for his mom? Who could blame him.</p><p>Then Billy had to work with Steve for the high school play as a punishment for a fight. It took weeks but slowly, whenever Steve had to drop off Will, he would be smiling and humming unfamiliar tunes. Sometimes Steve would even run lyrics by Will. When questioned, Steve would brush it off. Eventually however, Will wore Steve down and on a weekend when Joyce was working a double shift and Jonathan was working before taking Nancy out on a date, Will was introduced to Billy. Introduced and inducted into the secret garage band Billy and Steve had put together after a dare. Apparently, Billy was a drummer and Steve could play guitar and sing. Who knew?</p><p>It was just the two older teens to start with, but Will began to design their logo and was the one to come up with their band name: Upside-Down Knights. Steve agreed instantly; Billy however looked Will over. Whatever he had seen must have been worth it because he agreed to the name as well.</p><p>Will loved the weekends he would get to sit in Steve's garage with Billy and listen to them create. The Mind Flayer only had desire to destroy. Joyce was just glad her boy was smiling again, she told him one time after Steve had dropped him off. His mom never pried after Will told her what they did was a secret; a good secret. He loves her even more for her trust.</p><p>The funniest moment happened when Rebekah found out. Will had never seen Billy turn the color of the red wine his mom sometimes indulges in, but when the older teen girl had stormed into view, the setting sun lighting her hair on fire, in full on Mom-Mode to chew Billy out on being late to dinner, Will collapsed from laughing so hard. Steve was right next to Will, blocking Billy's irritated kicks with minimal success. Billy had managed to calm the girl down enough to introduce her as Rebekah Shore, best friend and mother hen whenever Steve was off-duty. He got a swat for that, but Will was too mesmerized by Rebekah's smile to laugh. He recognized her from the street all those weeks ago.</p><p>Will had no idea the fire of the sunset in her hair was literal. It made sense though and it hurt Will to see the two people he had watched fall in love be torn apart by Will's personal demon. And Will couldn't say anything about Billy to his friends because they would lynch Will alive. Which sucked balls having to choose between his friends, as Billy would say. But Billy had understood when Will explained why he acted like he did in public, because Will already felt like he and the rest of the Party were drifting from each other, what with the others having girlfriends. Will had no taste for romance at all. Since he had no desire, all Will had left was D and D which the others hardly wanted to play anymore. Billy understood, told him it was okay, ruffled Will's hair, and asked to play a campaign.</p><p>Who knew Billy played D and D in California or that Rebekah made a kick-ass half-elf Ranger? Steve took a little while to get into things but he learned. Eventually.</p><p>Will bit his lip, crying silently for the pain of his older adopted siblings.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I need a hero</em></p><p>
  <em>I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be sure</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's gotta be soon</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And he's gotta be larger than life, larger than life</em>
</p><p> </p><p>If Rebekah stumbles in the song when she feels a hand larger than a girl’s but smaller than a grown man’s settle butterfly gentle on her shoulder while a head of dark hair rests heavily beside the hand, she can’t be blamed and she doesn’t stop. Only basks like a water starved plant in the feeling of another living person’s presence. The boy doesn’t touch Billy either and that’s fine. Billy always had to initiate touch first when it was in a situation he could control. He’d flinch otherwise or clam up tighter than jazzercise unitards on a body, throw everything into his preferred mask.</p><p>Rebekah snuggles into the cold hand she’s clasped to her cheek, pretending Billy has just gotten out of the pool to explain away the temperature, because despite his reluctance for sudden touch, when Billy is comfortable he turns into the biggest cuddle monster, always finding some way to touch or be touched.</p><p>She draws deep for the last verse, strengthens and pushes past the pain so the last few words come out not as strained but rather husky. Leans back slightly into the boy’s hold on her shoulder, silently begging for strength.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Larger than life, larger than life</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh baby, baby</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Baby, tonight.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>It’s finished, Billy is gone, and Rebekah has to let him go if only so she can get these kids out of here. Will figure out the next step when opening her mouth doesn’t have a eighty percent chance of releasing a shriek of too many emotions. One of the kids can call the cops, let them know where Billy is because Rebekah can’t be associated or affiliated by anything even remotely resembling government. Not if she wants to stay free and alive (which suddenly seems like too much of a chore with Billy gone), not trapped in concrete and steel.</p><p>Shifting alerts the boy beside her that Rebekah is ready to move and God bless him and his mother when he gets the message, scooting back to give her room. The other kids are trying to be quiet as they climb to their feet. Bless their hearts.</p><p>Eyes darting frantically over his face, Rebekah memorizes the peace on his features, so rare in Billy’s life. Then she bends, kisses lips that are cracked and cold and too still, makes one last wish before pulling away.</p><p>Except there is a hand, sun-warm and calloused, gripping the back of her neck to pull her down into lips molding with hers in blissful familiarity. The kiss doesn’t last long and isn’t as filthy as she knows it can sometimes get when he’s feeling cocky and truly sure of himself, but she can completely forgive the shortness because he’s breaking away to breathe in huge gulping lungfuls of air, bright summer blue eyes gazing into her with an intensity just to the left of his normal.</p><p>Something has changed in Billy and Rebekah vows that she’ll get the story out of him soon. Right now though she’s busy with crying and laughing and squeezing the God-given LIFE out of Billy. He’s laughing too, his chest moving beneath her with the sound. Arms she had feared to never feel around her again are wrapped steel and pouring warmth into her frozen soul.</p><p>“You asshole!” Rebekah pounds a fist against his chest, shoves aside the memories of the minutes before, and kisses the skin above his heart. Listens to the steady beat under her ear. Feels Billy chuckle out a “Language!” while squeezing her tighter. Praises God unceasingly and gathers with him the once more sobbing young red head to Billy.</p><p>“Don’t ever do that again, you freaking jerk. Never again.” Max is righteous fury and absolutely beautiful even with puffy eyes and snot crusting under her nose, freckles dark under the flush of her pale skin. Her hair is a frizzy mess of red orange corkscrews and limp strands. Billy can count on one hand the number of sights he calls gorgeous and his sister in this moment is one of them. “Broke my heart, Asshole. Hope you’re happy.” Is mumbled into his neck and all Billy can do is kiss the top of her head.</p><p>“I know, Shitbird. Sorry.” He says it to Max but directs the apology to her and to Rebekah.</p><p>Billy aches in every fiber but in spite of the headache pounding starbursts in his vision and the way his lungs feel like each breath is driving white knives through muscle and tissue, he’s so damn grateful to be here holding his girls. Because Max is his girl whether she knows it or not and Rebekah has had his heart from the moment he woke up on her couch even if it took him a few months to realize she did. He’s going to take the God given blessing of a second chance with both hands and Billy is going to make sure he’s better than Neil for Billy’s sake as much as for the sake of his girls.</p><p>The group of three lays there on the warped floor and simply breathes.</p><p>It’s Lucas who musters up the courage to suggest they regroup somewhere safe. Mike agrees swiftly because he wants out of this room and away from Billy and Billy’s strange woman, but because Billy and the woman are now a part of Hawkins dirty monster secret he can’t just be rid of them. Easier to host the whole group where Mike will feel in control so the Wheeler residence it is. Will wants his mom but Mike’s house will do as a temporary substitute for safety.</p><p>Max easily accepts Will’s hand up, Billy grunting softly when she presses just a little too much weight on his chest as she goes, then steps aside to help the woman she really needs to get a name for so she can stop referring to her as the woman. Although Bad-Ass Bitch works just fine in her head. And if B.A.B staggers a step or two once she’s up, Max writes it off as a little harmless vertigo from being hunched over Billy so long; dismisses the crimson red hue on skin Max remembers being cream toned (though that could have been because of what she ran in on) as consequences of the still overheated room. Max swears she’ll get to know the woman who saved Billy better, after Max has had a chance to drink in and savor the fact Billy is alive.</p><p>Will extends a hand to Billy as well and isn’t surprised when Lucas also thrusts a hand out to Billy in a silent questioning truce. Mike’s startled squawk in the background is amazingly comical.</p><p>Billy glances from Lucas’ hand to his face, once, twice, before slapping his palms into both teens hands and accepting the boost to his feet. He’s heavier than they thought but they compensate well by planting their feet. And wonder why Billy starts laughing when they do. Steve would have groaned if he were present, knowing exactly what was going through the dirty blonde boy’s head.</p><p>Summer eyes scan the group of fourteen year olds, looking for injury, lingering on the tiny brunette girl with a ring of red darkening on her neck. She gives him a tiny, tight smile, chocolate eyes dipping down to his own throat where he vaguely recalls the icy bar of a weight digging deep into his neck and the brick at his back. They’re even is what Billy guesses she’s saying. Billy’s face pinches because no, they aren’t within a million miles of even, not when he tried very hard to kill her. Opens his mouth to make things clear when those intense eyes sweep past him and widen in confused concern with a touch of fear.</p><p>Billy doesn’t need to know who she’s looking at because he already knows. A seventh sense he's developed during the time they've spent together telling him when Rebekah's in trouble. It's a tingling sort of feeling that starts at the base of his spine and works its way up to wrap around his head. There's always a ringing in his ears too, like a timer gone off. Billy is turning against the tide suddenly flooding the room, ears ringing, spine tingling.</p><p>All the blood rushes to his feet when he finally lays eyes on Rebekah again. Has no idea he’s moved until she’s batting at his hands in an uncharacteristic uncoordinated jumble of limbs.</p><p>Rebekah is flushed, skin blotchy crimson and snow, and it makes sense because the room is freakishly hot but while Billy can <em>feel </em>the sweat tickle dripping down his face, Becky is <em>bone dry</em>. Where he has a grip on her wrists is hot, dangerously so. Billy runs the back of his hand gently, frantically, over her face hissing at the burn. Not good.</p><p>“Beck, Baby, Sweetheart, can you look at me?” He really doesn't like the glazed film brightening her eyes, but she does manage to focus on his face, mostly so that's a plus. “Good. Answer yes or no: Does your head hurt?”</p><p>“Y-Your head hurts, stupid bouncy curls.”</p><p>He'd laugh because Becky was always supremely grouchy when suffering a headache. “That's a yes. Okay, next question: Do you feel dizzy?”</p><p>Oh he would be charcoal if looks could set someone on fire; also if she could focus on him straight on instead of slightly over his shoulder.</p><p>“If the-the stupid...boat would s-stop rocking maybe the world...world would stop swirling.” Becky sounded so pissed and confused and it would be the most adorable sight ever if it wasn't sending Billy into his own spiral of panic. “Is this what the laundry feels like? I'm never washin' 'nother load, swear on my books.” Then she's ralphing over his chest and their feet, eyes rolling back and collapsing into his arms.</p><p>Billy wants to <em>howl</em>. He's been possessed, brought that <em><b>Thing</b></em> offerings of innocent people (Heather, her family, his swim students, <em><b>OH GOD</b></em>) and not so innocent (his dad, drunkards and pedophiles he had watched from his tower leer at the children), had died and seen the Pearly Gates, but none of those mattered because Becky was in the serious stages of heat stroke.</p><p>“Sinclair!” Billy barks and the kids snap to attention, <em>thank you God.</em> “Grab everything from my locker. Wheeler, keys for the snack bar are hanging on the locker door, fill as many cups as you can of ice water. Baby Byers, help Wheeler and grab some towels. Max, Pipsqueak, you help me.”</p><p>They are frozen, staring at him like he's grown a second head and its polka-dotted. Something in Billy snaps.</p><p>“<b>NOW!”</b> Billy roars. Five pairs of feet scatter in different directions.</p><p>Max and Pipsqueak materialize at his side; he could kiss them both.</p><p>“Get her feet, boots off but don't leave them behind. Then get her pants off.” He's already working on the scorched remnants of Becky's shirt. It's too easy to rip off, barely needs any of his adrenaline fueled strength to tear through the threads holding one sleeve and the last two inches of the back together. Rebekah would have his <em>ass </em>on a platter for ripping her favorite shirt.</p><p>“WHAT?! El and I are not going to help you get kinky with your girlfriend. And she's unconscious which makes this illegal!”</p><p>Of course, Max can't do anything he says without freaking <b><em>questioning </em></b>everything.</p><p>If he takes a little glee in the harsh flinch both girls give at his fiery glare, Billy has been through literal Hell and Heaven and his girlfriend is DYING in his arms, he's allowed and anyone who disagrees can BITE HIM.</p><p>“Becky is suffering from <b>heat stroke, </b>Maxine, so do what I told you to do and for once in your damn life-” Billy leaned into her space, eyes icy in his serious fury “<b>SHUT. UP. AND. FOLLOW. ORDERS.</b>”</p><p>He can see she wants to argue further, Max's eyes taking on the hard glint they do when her lips thin and she gears up to live up to the hype about redheaded tempers. But the girl (Elle? What kind of name is that?) puts a hand on her shoulder and starts to tug off Becky's boot. Max deflates but from past experience Billy knows he hasn't heard the end of things.</p><p>Later. He'll deal with a fallout with Max later, after Becky isn't taking his place in Heaven. After he can have a proper meltdown over shadow monsters and possessions and dying and becoming a mass murderer.</p><p>Within minutes, Becky is stripped to her underwear and he's sprinting outside, cradling her in his arms while Max and Elle follow behind like well trained ducklings. The boys join rank, eyes widening at the undressed state of Becky before whipping their heads away, rosy blushes spreading like wildfire. Under normal circumstances, Billy would lose it at their expressions, laughing until his ribs splintered. However, right now, all he can do is run and whisper thanks that Becky had driven because there was no way he'd get all the kids into the Camaro. The Impala's engine rumbled, idling where Becky had slammed it into park. Billy had never been happier to see the beautiful black beast.</p><p>“Pipsqueak, up front, the rest in the back.” Billy slid Becky in gently, ignoring the protests, and got behind the wheel. The tiny brunette scrambled into the front seat, beating out Max. Chocolate eyes glanced worriedly between Billy and Becky. Another thing to add to the Figure-Shit-Out-Later List. As it was, he barely waited until the last kid was in before throwing the car in reverse and fishtailing out of the parking lot.</p><p>Becky's head lolled onto his bare shoulder, reminding him that while they were in the car, she wasn't out of the woods yet. Billy cranked the AC and rolled the driver window down, bare foot pressing the gas into the floor.</p><p>“Wheeler, Baby Byers, start soaking those towels in the ice water and pass them up to Pipsqueak.” Tires squeal as he drifts a turn.</p><p>“My name is Mike, Asshole, and his is Will.” Baby Wheeler is almost on par with his older sister in the annoying department. Go figure.</p><p>“And I <b>DON'T. CARE.</b> Pass up the towels and shut your traps.” Billy risks a hand to check Becky's temperature. Better but not good enough. Thankfully he sees the boys handing wet towels to the girl, El.</p><p>“Okay, Pipsqueak, here's what I need you to do: Fold a towel and put it over her groin, the part where her legs connect to her body, that's it. Next, put a towel under each of her armpits, ball them up, good. Another towel goes between her breasts. Yep, perfect.” He's going to have to replace the tires at this rate. “Okay, last towel I want you to pat her face with, make sure to wet her whole face, especially her forehead and the back of her neck. You're bringing her temperature down which is the most crucial part of treating a heat stroke victim.”</p><p>“Heat. Stroke.” She looks ridiculously serious and he kind of loves her for it. Not like any of the other brats in the car seem to get the severity of the situation.</p><p>“Yeah, heat stroke. It's where the body's temperature rises to dangerous levels without cooling off. Humans sweat as a way of regulating body temperature.” If he keeps talking, he's not flipping out which is the best option at this point. “A victim of heat stroke doesn't sweat so they can't cool down naturally. They become dehydrated and if it continues, can lead to seizures and death.”</p><p>Eyes widen in horror, all of the kids, not just Pipsqueak <em>finally </em> grasping why Billy's being so hard.</p><p>“Gone.” A weighty whisper.</p><p>“Not on my watch.” A promise.</p><p> </p>
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